The Bloustein School and NJTIP @ Rutgers are pleased to collaborate with Goodwill NY/NJ to present the 2014 Ruth Ellen Steinman and Edward J. Bloustein Memorial Lecture, a series of short films as part of the second annual ReelAbilities: New Jersey Disabilities Film Festival on Monday, November 17, 2014. The event will be held in the Special Events Forum, Civic Square Building, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. Registration and a brief reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. Film screenings, followed by a panel discussion will begin at 6:15 p.m.
The Rutgers event is free and open to the public; registration is requested by visiting http://bit.ly/ejb-reelabilities.
The centerpiece of the Steinman/Bloustein program will be the film “The Commute,” produced by Goodwill NY/NJ. Transportation, employment, housing, and family life can be challenging for any of us, but for individuals with a disability even more so. Directed by Jake Alexander-McAfee, this brief film tells the story of George, a wheelchair user trying to get home for his daughter’s birthday party on public transportation, who finds himself on an arduous journey.
The Bloustein program will also include the screening of three additional short films of 3-9 minutes each: “Jazz Hand,” about a dancer with a disability whose surprising secret is unintentionally revealed at an audition; “46/47,” the story of Daniel, a man who doesn’t feel different but is treated differently; and “Autism in Love,” a documentary film profiling the life of R.V. Kuser, a 50-year-old man with Autism Spectrum Disorder who has overcome deficient social skills and odd behaviors to embrace life with his wife.
A short panel discussion with director Jake Alexander-McAfee and actor George Gallego, both from “The Commute,” and representatives from Goodwill NY/NJ and NJTIP @ Rutgers will follow the film showings.
The ReelAbilities Disabilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. Initiated in NY in 2007, ReelAbilities takes place in cities across the country. The inaugural New Jersey festival took place in the spring of 2013 and showcased several narrative, documentary, and short films from across the globe, many in their U.S. or N.J. premieres. The festival will once again present award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple settings. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. More information about the New Jersey events may be found atNewJersey.ReelAbilities.org.
The Rutgers event is free and open to the public; registration is requested by visiting http://bit.ly/ejb-reelabilities.